Malteser International Annual Report 2014

Middle East: Minorities and
Civilians between the Battle Lines
9
Oliver Hochedez, Malteser International’s Emergency Relief Coordinator
reports on our aid to the people of the Middle East – currently in the
grip of the worst refugee crisis of recent times.
E
are running towards Europe. Indeed, one of the worst
refugee disasters of recent times is unfolding within the
Middle East.
The confrontation between protestors and government
forces in Syria that began as part of the ‘Arab
Spring’ in February 2011 has developed into a complex
crisis involving many parties, and led to an unpreceurope
is afraid of a tidal wave of refugees.
Thousands of people are reported to have
drowned while attempting to cross the
Mediterranean in a vain attempt to reach the
continent – where street protests against their arrival
are not unusual in some places. However, very few of
the more than 50 million refugees around the world
Oliver Hochedez
(right) – here in
conversation with
a displaced Iraqi in
Camp Bersevi II –
regularly visits crisis
regions to assess the
needs of people on the
ground.
Photo: Carmen Wolf